NBC News reports today that law enforcement authorities have uncovered emails that show Penn State President Graham Spanier, PSU Vice President Gary Schultz and PSU Athletic Director Tim Curley “discussed whether they needed to tell authorities about a 2001 allegation involving a late night encounter between a naked Sandusky and a young boy in the Penn State shower room.”

NBC News reporter Michael Isikoff also noted of Penn State’s handling of the, “2001 allegation involving a late night encounter between a naked Sandusky and a young boy in the Penn State shower room“:

Penn State even did legal research on the issue. But in one e-mail exchange two sources say Spanier and former vice president Gary Schultz agreed it would be, quote, “humane” to Sandusky not to inform social services and the incident never got reported.

Video and text of the transcript of the NBC report, which concluded by noting that, “the investigation as to whether there’s a cover-up by Penn State officials is very active and going strong,” is below:

NBC News reporter Michael Isikoff: Jerry sandusky goes on trial today charged with repeatedly molesting young boys. Law enforcement officials tell NBC News Pennsylvania prosecutors are weighing bringing more charges in this case against former top Penn State officials for allegedly concealing what they knew about his conduct.

As sandusky goes to court, law enforcement sources tell NBC News investigators have obtained new evidence in this case. Internal e-mails and documents they say show former Penn State President Graham Spanier and others discussed whether they needed to tell authorities about a 2001 allegation involving a late night encounter between a naked Sandusky and a young boy in the Penn State shower room.

The sources say documents show Penn State even did legal research on the issue. But in one e-mail exchange two sources say Spanier and former vice president Gary Schultz agreed it would be, quote, “humane” to sandusky not to inform social services and the incident never got reported.

Sandusky, who denies all charges, is facing 52 counts of child sex abuse. Eight of his alleged victims are slated to testify. Among them, a young man known as Victim Six who first told Penn State in 1998 when he was 11 years old that Sandusky had bear-hugged him in the Penn State football locker room shower.

Dr. Alycia Chambers, the boy’s psychologist, submitted this report to Penn State police at the time, concluding Sandusky’s behavior fit that of a likely pedophile’s pattern.

NBC News reporter Isikoff: But a second psychologist reached a different conclusion and no charges were filed. (In 1998.)

Then-Penn State football graduate assistant Mike McQueary had originally testified to a grand jury he saw Sandusky in the shower with a young boy in March, 2002.

A new e-mail says Spanier, Schultz and former Penn State Athletic Director Tim Curley discussed what McQueary saw and whether to report it more than a year earlier.

Lawyers for Spanier, who was fired last September, did not return calls seeking comment.

Lawyers for Schultz and Curley said, “the information confirms conscientiously considered Mike McQueary ’s reports of observing inappropriate conduct, reported it to the university president Graham Spanier and deliberated about how to responsibly deal with the conduct.”

Legal sources say discovery of the e-mails show whatever happens in the Sandusky trial, the investigation as to whether there’s a cover-up by Penn State officials is very active and going strong.